News Feature | July 7, 2015

Top 5 HIT Trends Identified

Katie Wike

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Doctor ON tablet

An Accenture report identifies the top five trends in health IT for healthcare systems.

According to an Accenture report, five healthcare trends will have a great impact on the future of the industry. To come to this conclusion, experts from Accenture surveyed 101 healthcare executives, 601 doctors, and 1,000 consumers.

iHealth Beat notes the trends identified in the report - Healthcare IT: Top 5 eHealth Trends Reshaping the Industry in 2015 - were as follows:

  • “Intelligent Enterprise,” or a focus on data to help improve clinical outcomes;
  • “Internet of Me,” or personalized medicine;
  • “Outcome Economy,” or a system focused on “delivering results,” in part through increased data accessibility;
  • “Platform (R)evolution,” or the increasing prevalence of mobile and cloud platforms that focus on interoperability; and
  • “Workforce Reimagined,” or the emergence and implementation of new machine technologies.

“As the digital revolution gains momentum, doctors and clinicians will use machines to augment human labor, personalize care and manage more complex tasks,” said Kaveh Safavi J.D. M.D., who leads Accenture’s health business in a press release. “The digital revolution is also creating a data goldmine that can spark medical breakthroughs and improve individualized treatment plans.”

In addition, the report also found providers report a positive ROI on personalized medicine like wearables. In fact, 85 percent of physicians said wearable devices can help patients better engage with their own health, and 76 percent of patients said wearable devices have the potential to help them manage or improve their health.

“We’re entering an era of personalized healthcare where patients expect to have a meaningful and convenient individual health experience, both virtually and in-person,” Safavi said. “The advent of real-time patient data, smarter technologies and individualized services will help health providers break from their traditional business models and provide outcome-focused services for individuals.”